Pickleball: America’s Fastest Growing Sport Enjoys Even Higher Growth Than Expected
Pickleball, America’s fastest growing sport, is enjoying even higher growth than previously thought.[0] According to the 2023 APP Pickleball Participation Report, a study conducted by YouGov on behalf of the APP, 14% of adult Americans (36.5 million people) have played pickleball at least once over the 12 months from August 2021 to August 2022. Further, 8.5 million people have played pickleball eight times or more in 2022, and 45% of the 36.5 million players plan to play pickleball more often in the next six months than the previous six-month period.
Tom Webb, Chief Marketing Officer of the APP, commented: “Pickleball has to be viewed as one of America’s favorite sports. In 2020, a pandemic year, previous reports stated that over four million people picked up a paddle to play pickleball, with that number reportedly growing to over five million in 2021. The APP’s report shows that the popularity of pickleball has exploded. Pickleball courts continue to be built and installed nationwide, and people from coast to coast are trying the sport for the first time, and immediately falling in love with pickleball.”[0]
Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two or four players hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid-faced paddles. This game is simple to understand, can be played quickly, involves interaction with others, and is suitable for people of all ages and physical abilities.[1] Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, and is played on a court with no walls or fencing. On either side of the net lies an area known as “the kitchen,”, which is a no-volley zone.[1]
According to the SFIA’s 2022 report on pickleball, the sport grew to include 4.8 million players in the United States in 2021, a 12.8% jump from 2020 to 2021, following a 21.3% jump the previous year.[2] Naples, Florida, has even claimed the unofficial title of Pickleball Capital of the World.[2]
0. “2023 APP PICKLEBALL PARTICIPATION REPORT REVEALS 36.5 …” www.onfocus.news, 28 Jan. 2023, https://www.onfocus.news/2023-app-pickleball-participation-report-reveals-36-5-million-adult-americans-played-pickleball-in-2022/
1. “The Rise of Pickleball | Moffly Media” mofflylifestylemedia.com, 28 Jan. 2023, https://mofflylifestylemedia.com/the-rise-of-pickleball/
2. “Pickleball Is Picking Up: Instructors Say It's Healthy for Both Mind …” www.jewishtimes.com, 28 Jan. 2023, https://www.jewishtimes.com/pickleball-is-picking-up-instructors-say-its-healthy-for-both-mind-and-body/